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In the UK people with SCI are not allowed to donate blood, this is due to the increased risk that the person will be colonised with bacteria in the bladder from catheterising (doesn't matter whether intermittent or indwelling catheters) The risk of passing on an infection to the person receiving the transfusion is too high.

In the UK people with SCI are not allowed to donate blood, this is due to the increased risk that the person will be colonised with bacteria in the bladder from catheterising (doesn't matter whether intermittent or indwelling catheters) The risk of passing on an infection to the person receiving the transfusion is too high.

I've been donating every 3 months since I was 16. They take anywhere between 200-550 mileometers. I get somewhat nauseated right after when I sit up, so lay down for a few minutes before getting up. Drink some juice, eat some cookies and I get a sticker that says "Be nice to me today. I donated a pint of blood." Sometimes the puncture wound hurts for a day or so and your arm will feel a little weak. I don't know what the rules are in the US, but they've never denied me unless my iron levels are kind of low. They take a drop of blood from a finger prick and drop it into this blue liquid stuff. If it sinks within 10 seconds, then you have a good iron count. Otherwise they send me home for a week and tell me to eat lots of beans, spinach, eggs and miltivitamins. Nuts are good, too. Particularly almonds.

It's an easy way to lose a lb. =)

Edited by The Black Sheep, 29 April 2011 - 11:44 PM.

3 doctors diagnosed me with hysterical paralysis (weee!), 1 diagnosed an incomplete T7, another T2 and the last (and most accurate) T5. Trampolines are BAD. Sleep is unpredictable. And never kiss strangers. Life has moved on.

I've been donating every 3 months since I was 16. They take anywhere between 200-550 mileometers. I get somewhat nauseated right after when I sit up, so lay down for a few minutes before getting up. Drink some juice, eat some cookies and I get a sticker that says "Be nice to me today. I donated a pint of blood." Sometimes the puncture wound hurts for a day or so and your arm will feel a little weak. I don't know what the rules are in the US, but they've never denied me unless my iron levels are kind of low. They take a drop of blood from a finger prick and drop it into this blue liquid stuff. If it sinks within 10 seconds, then you have a good iron count. Otherwise they send me home for a week and tell me to eat lots of beans, spinach, eggs and miltivitamins. Nuts are good, too. Particularly almonds.

I'm AB+ which makes my blood a proverbial goldmine for the blood bank cuz it is used for the PLASMA (in MY case) as AB+ plasma IS universal like O neg is for whole blood. My only problem is having my iron count high enough.....it's usually too low to donate or I'd do it more often. ;)

*Enjoy every sunset, but be grateful for every dawn.*
*Wheelchairs are made of a special ocular magnetic alloy......they're "eyeball magnets".*
*I USE a wheelchair, that does NOT make ME a wheelchair!*

O negative here. I've donated over 9 gallons and soon will hit my 10 gallon mark!! I donate while still sitting in my chair. I don't notice any difference in my energy level the next day so it doesn't seem to take much out of me.

This is a bit off the topic, but I haven't been able to donate blood since 2002. It has nothing to do with SCI, but rather with BSE. I was stationed in Germany during 1982 - 1983, so I was (very theoretically) exposed to BSE. Have any of the British contingent on here heard of a blood test for BSE? I would like to be eligible again, since it seems to be possible with the SCI.

Could you fill us in on what BSE is? I usually google things but that didn't work for this.Thanks

BSE is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) the human form is new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (nvCJD) there is no test at present that can detect this. The risk of nvCJD has caused the UK to be very stringent on blood donation, anyone who has received a blood transfusion in the past is not allowed to donate as is anyone who may theoretically be at risk of acquiring the disease

this is off topic as well. but in 1986 when i suffered my injury i was given a blood transfusion. back then they didn't even test for aids. however, the transfusion gave me an antigen which years later made me at risk for having a blue baby. the baby was fine but i can see where you can never be too careful. i feel lucky i didn't contract aides or hep c. i do appreciate that now they consider mrsa and other issues that could cause adverse health issues for the donee.

mellowgator

hi fellow gimps! i'm a c 6/7 quad and have been injured since 1986. i was in a roll over hydroplane accident and it took hours for the paramedics to get me out of the car in the pouring rain. that definately wasn't my day. but alas life goes on!

Could you fill us in on what BSE is? I usually google things but that didn't work for this.Thanks

BSE is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) the human form is new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (nvCJD) there is no test at present that can detect this. The risk of nvCJD has caused the UK to be very stringent on blood donation, anyone who has received a blood transfusion in the past is not allowed to donate as is anyone who may theoretically be at risk of acquiring the disease

I'm not allowed to donate blood because I was in the UK during the mad cow thing and it could still potentially be incubating in me. I was a backpacker who spent his meagre income on booze, I couldn't even afford to eat their overpriced steaks. This didn't wash with the blood donor people, may have been the booze comment.

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